Teaching Portfolio Tasks:

3. Write a reflective essay entitled: An eclectic approach in a primary English

classroom. The
assumption is that you select at least one aspect or element from each method and
approach
(regarding 4 conventional and 4 non-conventional). The word limit for your essay is
450-500.

The eclectic approach in teaching languages.

With the advanced universal integration and the rising mutual
exchange of politics, Culture and education of various countries, the
significance of English has been increasing. As one of the major
information carriers, English becomes the most extensively used
language in all social aspects. Meanwhile, English language teaching
has drawn more and more attention.
With the replenishment of the teaching theories, teachers keep on
renewing teaching approaches in their classes, from grammar
translation approach to audio lingual method, from direct method to
communicative approach. Trying these teaching approaches,
teachers get confused to decide the most suitable one for the
students.
Since every teaching approach has its advantages and
disadvantages, it is hard to say which one is the most appropriate.
Therefore, it is a good idea to have an eclectic approach in teaching
languages.
Language cannot be divided into pronunciation, grammar, and
vocabulary. The electrical theory point out that proficiency of
language occurs through constant practice of usage of language as
whole. However, if someone had asked me to mention the most
effective way of learning and teaching English, it could have been a

difficult process to come to a satisfactory conclusion. And it would

be an impossible mission to choose a single theory or approach to
adapt as a whole.
If I had a chance to teach and I have to choose a particular theory to
work with, I would invent my own which will be a mixture of the best
elements from all the conventional and the non conventional ones.
For instance; form the grammar translation method I would choose
to use the list of words in L 1 and in L2.because I believe that the
correspondence between the words give the learner the full
understanding of the word. And the second element would be the
reading of the literary passages but I would use with advanced
learners.
From the direct method I would choose the idea that the classroom
instructions should be in the target language. And that the there
should be demonstration of words by using objects and pictures
rather than translation. Although I do not agree with most of the
audio-lingual method but still there is something which I would use
that is the role of the teacher. They believe that the teacher is like
an orchestra commander and that s\he should correct the learner's
performance.
TPR focuses on practical multiple-sense learning including vision,
audition and touch. Students learn English through different
pathways actions, songs, games, drawing, and performance. All
these ways are used to enrich the learners understanding of the
meaning. When the students sing, dance, draw and act with the
teacher, the language is easily reinforced.
The last method I will talk about is the Suggestopedia. There are two
elements which I agree with. The first one is the relaxing
atmosphere that the teacher put the learner in which is believed to
enhance the learning process. The second one is the authoritative
role of the teacher.

There are a number of different elements from different methods

which I appreciate, and I would like to use in my class. But on the
other hand I still have some doubt about wither this combination of
different element and ideas would work or not. It is convincing and
seems systematic in the abstract way but what will happen in reality
is still unknown.